Apparatus and method for handling fluids for analysis

Abstract

A reaction vessel with a bottom drain opening supporting a selected unpressured head of fluid by the surface tension of the fluid. A device processing zone includes a support for spaced rows of reaction vessels, passages communicating with their drain openings of supported vessels, and a pressure source for selectively draining fluid through the drain openings. Generally horizontal bar magnets are supported for selected vertical movement between the vessel rows. A dispensing head has X discharge openings selectively positionable over X selected reaction vessels. A metering pump mechanism selectively meters X a selected quantity of fluid a bulk supply (where X is at least four), and selectively pumps the metered selected quantities through the drain openings to the selected reaction vessels. Methods of drawing fluid from the vessels using the pressure source, and moving the magnets to form a pellet of analyte are also included.

Description

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not applicable. REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX Not applicable. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention is directed toward testing of specimens, and particularly toward an apparatus and method for processing specimens during testing, including adding fluids such as reagents during the processing of specimens. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND TECHNICAL PROBLEMS POSED BY THE PRIOR ART Testing sample biological specimens is commonly done, for example, to check for the presence of an item of interest, which item may be or include all or portions of a specific region of DNA, RNA, or fragments thereof, complements, peptides, polypeptides, enzymes, prions, proteins, messenger RNA, transfer RNA, mitochondrial RNA or DNA, antibodies, antigens, allergens, parts of biological entities such as cells, virons or the like, surface proteins, or functional equivalents of the above, etc. Specimens such as a patient's body fluids (e.g...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

In still another aspect of the present invention, a method of processing analytes in fluids in reaction vessels is provided, including the steps of (1) supporting a reaction vessel containing an analyte in a fluid, the reaction vessel having a drain opening in its bottom capable of supporting a selected head of the fluid in the vessel by the surface tension of the fluid, (2) drawing the analyte to a side of the vessel to concentrate the analyte clear of the drain opening, and (3) selectively creating a pressure differential between the top of the fluid and the bottom of the drain opening sufficient to overcome the fluid surface tension and drain the fluid through the drain opening.

Problems solved by technology

For example, where the HIV virus from one specimen is inadvertently allowed to contaminate the specimen of a different patient, the resulting false positive test result could potentially have catastrophic psychological effect on the patient, even should subsequent testing later discover the error.

Moreover, since such testing is highly sensitive, even the smallest amounts of contamination can cause erroneous test results.

However, such processing can result in resource contention, where one rack of tubes is delayed from being placed at a station while another rack of tubes completes its processing at that station when, as is commonly the case, the processing time at one station is different than the processing time at another station.

Of course, a slow overall processing time can reduce the amount of tests which are performed during a given day, and thereby either delay the completion of tests or require significant additional investment of capital for additional devices to allow for a desired testing capacity level.

The handling of the reagents and other fluids with automated devices such as described above can be problematic.

Such a process can be time consuming, and tie up the head from other uses, particularly if prevention of contamination between tubes makes it necessary to use a new pipette with each tube.

Of course, in such situations, multiple pipettes will be consumed at some cost.

Images